Spices 101 – Cayenne Pepper

People always talk about how the Internet has really changed the world. Well, when preparing this post, I was thinking that cable television has really changed things too….especially in the past 10 years or so. How? Well, until recently, if you wanted to watch anything “educational”, the TV channel you would turn on was PBS. I remember that Saturday was filled with cooking shows, home improvement shoes, sewing & crafting shows…you name it.

I used to love watching “The Frugal Gourmet”, “This Old House”, and “Sewing With Nancy”. Today’s spice is in honor another chef my husband and I used to enjoy watching: Justin Wilson, The Cajun Cook.

One of Justin’s catch phrases was, “Whooooooooooo Boy”. I think it’s today’s spice that had him saying that. So, what spice are we going to chat about?

Cayenne Pepper

Now, don’t let the word “pepper” confuse you. Cayenne pepper is NOT related to black pepper(corns). Nope, it’s a chili pepper that can be used fresh, dried, or (dried) powdered. At first blush, you won’t think it’s all that spicy but trust me, once you consume it, cayenne’s heat packs a one-two punch. You will feel cayenne’s heat in your mouth and throat so don’t over do!

Cayenne is used in many different cuisines including Cajun, Mexican, Caribbean, Indian and Italian. It is a component in seasoned salt, jerk, chili powder, berbere, blackening, and mole negro seasoning blends along with Tabasco Sauce and Buffalo Wing Sauce. If you do not have any cayenne pepper, feel free to substitute paprika, red pepper flakes, or aleppo pepper.

Here are a few ways you can add cayenne to bring some kick to your cooking.